The Thorn Bearer by Pepper D. Basham ~ Review

My Review:

Ashleigh Dougall has hidden the painful secret of her past for as long as she can remember, and that secret is what drives her everyday to make the world a better place. In love with her childhood friend, who happens to be engaged to her sister, Catherine, and in the wake of a messy broken engagement. Ashleigh travels back to England with Sam in tow, in order to serve others by helping to start an orphanage.

But when the ship they are traveling on goes down, their lives are changed forever.


The riveting, character driven, long awaited debut from Pepper Basham one that goes right to the heart from the very first page. I was drawn to Ashleigh and her story of hope and forgiveness, from the very beginning and my admiration for her only grew throughout, she was truly a character to cheer for all the way through. Ashleigh didn't let the pain from the past stop her from sharing compassion with others, and from selflessly giving to others.

I really liked Sam, and he was a good friend, and gentleman. He had his hurts too, and also his vulnerabilities that made him who he was. I was surprised by how much I didn't hate Catherine at the end of this book, when I fist met her character, I was pretty sure I wouldn't like her, but something kept me holding out hope for her, because of just how complex her story line became.

One thing that struck me about this book was that it wasn't just one or two characters that had their lives completely turn around, but four, who all had their story to tell and growth to experience.

Overall, a wonderfully riveting read that had me hooked late into the night. The story line and characters were compelling and heartfelt, I can't wait to find out what happens next!


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